Rift
by Vanui
Summary: A rift had formed between the Leader and the Inn Manager. They weren't done saving people. The TV World wasn't done with them. And this was all in the middle of a bad love drama. Tough luck for them though. It wasn't as simple as that.
1. Prologue

A/N: I dunno how this came out, and I know I should finish my other stories, but meh....

Well, I hope you enjoy this. I dunno if I want to finish this or not though.

**EDIT: **Fixed a few things, tried to make it flow better. Not too much change in the overall plot though.

* * *

_**Rift**_

**Prologue  
**

There was always a rift between them.

It kept him away from Inaba, despite the many invitations from his friends. It kept her in the Inn, even when she had free time. Neither of them went with the rest of the Investigation team when they did something together, whether it be the numerous clubs Rise knew of or to Junes to speak of old times. Yosuke, Chie, Kanji, Naoto, Rise and Teddie tried to enjoy the times they had together, but it just wasn't the same without Yukiko and Souji. The two never came, even when they knew the other wouldn't be there. Afraid, they distanced themselves from everyone, tearing the Team apart and burying themselves in their work. Well, at least Yukiko did. None of them even knew what Souji was doing now. It had been only a year since the murders, so Souji was likely in school somewhere in the city. Yukiko still attended Yasogami High, but the Amagi Inn was quickly becoming her priority in life.

Chie couldn't even remember the last time she saw Yukiko outside of school. It was making her heart break, seeing her best friend like this. And she knew it was all _his_ fault. The bastard Yukiko's parents tried to marry her off to better have left her alone these past few months, because Chie was itching to kick him in the face again.

Aiji Kato had come into their lives when Souji arrived in Inaba. He was a third year, now a graduate, that also transferred over to their high school during the time of the murders. He came from a rich, pompous traditional family that had an interest in the Inn. Smart, good-looking, and kind, there was only word that could have described him: Perfect. Perfect, except for one fact. He had trouble keeping only one woman.

Having been raised knowing that he could have anything he wanted, having multiple wives was something that could be granted to him. It wasn't that he was a bad guy, he was just like that. He truly was a good person, donating to charities and helping out the poor; he just had a tendency to get bored with the people and things around him quickly. He switched from one woman to the next as quickly as Tomoe could kick.

He had caught Yukiko's eye, and that was an achievement in itself. To actually have become her boyfriend and then her fiancé, well, it was like striking a gold mine. They had been secretly dating and would have stayed that way if Souji hadn't fallen in love with Yukiko.

He spent a lot of time with her, listening to her talk about the Inn, trying her cooking, and helping her realize that what she really wanted to do was take over the Inn, not leaving it like her shadow originally seemed to want. He spent a lot of time with everyone else, helping them discover things about themselves that changed their lives forever. However, he spent the most time with Yukiko, and Chie knew that it couldn't have been because she still had problems for Souji to solve.

Sometime before the battle with Namatame, he had confessed his love for the red-wearing girl at the front of the shrine. She had promptly slapped him across the face, about to accuse him of trying to get a girl that was already taken when she realized that nobody but she and Aiji knew they were dating. Apologizing, she told the silver-haired boy that she had been secretly dating someone for the past few months and that she was truly sorry for not being able to like him back. He was her friend after all, who had listened to her without complaints and tried her abominable cooking. He had accepted the apology, and smiled painfully while saying, "I understand."

Nobody else had noticed the pain Souji was going through, and how he distanced himself from everyone, saying even less than he usually had.

During a meeting at Junes, the Investigation Team was discussing the true identity of murderer behind everything, when Yukiko's parents and Aiji's parents showed up with Aiji in tow. Confused, they watched as Aiji got on one knee and took out a black box, proposing to the fan-wielding Persona holder in front of the whole food court. She had gaped, shocked that he had gone to their parents and told them everything about them, even proposing to her! He replied, saying that he hadn't told their parents anything and that they had somehow found out. That was when Souji spoke up.

"I found out," he stated. "It was me who told them about you two. I thought it would be the wisest thing to do, as I saw Aiji walking out of the jewelry store after buying a ring." He paused for breath before continuing. He had not spoken a full sentence in a while, let alone 3 in a row. Mentally preparing himself, he covered his face with an unreadable mask, hiding his emotions under his skin.

"I wondered why you had bought that, if you never had a girlfriend and your mother was rich enough to buy 100 rings herself. This might sound like I'm a stalker, but I followed you to your meeting with Miss Amagi-san by the shrine, and when you kissed her as a greeting, I knew," he explained. Chie had chuckled, seeing as that was something only Souji would have done. Though Naoto was a detective, she respected peoples privacy and kept out of their private lives if she could.

"Therefore, I pieced together that you were going to propose sometime, and I knew you weren't going to tell your parents. Amagi-san hadn't even told me she was dating someone, and I doubted that someone with a high status like you could get away with a hidden girlfriend unless the girlfriend kept quiet herself. So I decided to do you a favor, and explained the situation to your parents, and by doing that, I diffused their anger." Yukiko's parents had laughed, saying that if it Seta hadn't been the one to tell them first, they would have gored the Aiji boy already without a second thought. Aiji had nervously laughed and gave a grateful handshake to Souji.

"Thanks. If it weren't for you, then this would have turned out so much worse. I'm in your debt," he laughed. As Souji laughed with him, Chie had noticed how forced it sounded and how sad it was as well. It seemed that Yosuke, Rise, Kanji, Naoto, and Teddie had noticed too. They stood in a suffocating silence and watched the happy couple leave the food court to go to the Amagi Inn with their parents.

After they had left, Souji also left in a rush, saying how the meeting would be pointless without everyone there. Without giving anyone time to say anything to him, he was gone. All of them had realized the tragedy that had happened, and their hearts wept for Souji's pain. They cursed themselves for not noticing sooner. Well, everyone did, except for Teddie. He had no clue what was going on.

"Why's everyone so sad? Shouldn't we be happy for Yukiko-chan?" he asked. Chie looked at everyone's faces and noticed how they seemed reluctant to explain. She took the lead.

"Teddie, didn't you notice Souji's laugh?" she started. Teddie nodded and said how it was sad like everyone's expressions.

"Teddie, Souji must have fallen for Yukiko. A-and he tried to make her happy by letting her be with the one she loves. That's the simplest way to put it." The bear had gone wide-eyed, to blank faced, to outright bursting into tears.

"P-poor Sensei! WAHHHHHHHHH!!! I… I wanna be happy for Yuki-chan but Sensei must be so SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he sobbed. Rise couldn't hold her tears any longer, and burst into tears with Teddie. Kanji only clenched his fist and stood there silently shaking. Naoto's eyes were hard as she paced back and forth, analyzing the situation to see if there was any way to help Souji. Chie caught Yosuke's eyes and a silent agreement passed between them.

_You help Souji and I'll check out this Aiji guy, make sure he's not a womanizer or something._

So she checked him out, and found that he was the biggest womanizer she had ever seen in her life. From strip clubs to taking random girls into his home, she knew this was NOT going to end well for Yukiko. She tried to tell her, but the girl wouldn't listen, stating that Chie was on Souji's side and she understood if Chie was angry at her for hurting their Leader. Chie tried and tried, but to no avail.

After Adachi had been caught, Izanami dealt with, and Souji had gone, the Team tried to help Yukiko understand who she was about to marry. Nothing they said would daunt her, and she finally lost her cool. She obviously thought they were against her only because Souji mattered to them more than she did, which was totally untrue. Distancing herself from everyone, even Chie, Yukiko found out.

She had planned to give Aiji a surprise cake she had baked. None of them knew the exact details after that, but they at least knew she was given a front-row view of Aiji Kato undressing a random whore from a strip club in the city.

And that brought them to where they were now. Yukiko depressed and un-engaged and Souji depressed from the beginning and still depressed.

Oh joy.

* * *

A/N: Wow, I just looked through that and realized how much that SUCKED. GAH.


	2. Start

**Edit:** DIRTY MOTHER. I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT HOW BIG NAOTO'S BUST SIZE WAS. CURSE ME AND MY LAPSE OF MEMORY. Thanks to Mayumi-H and Kisdota-The Freak Gamer for pointing it out.

A/N: Holy SHIT. I don't think I've ever typed this much in my life before. This has been stuck in my head for a while, so I wanted to get it out there. I apologize in advance for the rushed, poorly proofread, and error-filled chapter. I think this is sorta still like a prologue, but....... aww whatever, I'm just rambling now.

Enjoy

Oh yeah, I forgot about this. **I don't own Persona 4. Seriously. I was only two years old when the first Persona game came out!**

* * *

**Rift**

**_Chapter 1_**

Start

It was one of those rare days when the rain wouldn't stop falling from the sky, no matter how long you waited. For the past 72 hours, the hard rain had drenched the streets and shops with no sign whatsoever of stopping. It was like the days of the murders, where rain meant the Midnight Channel, the Midnight Channel meant someone was in danger, and the inevitable fog that came after.

Chie found herself stuck in her home, bored to death and reliving memories from the past 2 years. Usually, she would be out and about with Yosuke or someone, but the rain was really pouring hard. If it continued, they would have a flood on their hands. She laughed, thinking how the weather perfectly matched the mood of everyone in the Investigation Team. 4 months ago was when the devastating truth was dropped on Yukiko's head, exploding like a bomb in an airplane raid. 4 months ago was when there was another rift formed, between her and the Team.

Chie sighed, remembering the day that Yukiko had found out Aiji's true nature. Somehow, it topped her crap list, barely beating the experience of death she had while facing Izanami. Her eyes slowly closed as she stared at the water falling outside her window, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sound of water droplets splattering on her roof.

* * *

"Ahh! That hit the spot. Thanks Yosuke, for the steak," she said, grinning at Yosuke's empty wallet. He only whimpered in response.

"Aww, come'on, it's not like I ate _that_ much. You know how much I could've eaten, right?" she asked, grin widening when Yosuke slumped his shoulders down in defeat. She swore she could have seen a tear run down his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your mercy, O Kind one!" he sighed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why do I feel like this day is only going to get worse? Seriously, you just ate my allowance for the next 3 weeks! How the hell do you even eat so much anyways? Do you even gain weight at all?!" he questioned, feeling frustrated with the girl in front of him. Chie huffed in indignation.

"Are you calling me _fat_?" she asked, her voice dangerously low. He gulped, realizing the line he just crossed. Aw shit, the day could only get worse right? Him and his big mouth…

"Uh, n-no! Not at all! When did I even say that anyways? I only said that it was strange that you didn't gain weight from all the meat you eat! I mean, you're freakishly skinny, even from all that food! Err…" he trailed off, eyes-widening at her hunched over figure. That could only mean-

WHAM!

His head snapped back from the force of the punch, ears ringing and the world spinning around him. He heard a sickening crunch in his lower jaw. That was probably not something good.

"SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT I _SHOULD_ BE FAT?!" she yelled, completely losing her cool. Yosuke stammered, wondering how to answer that without digging himself into a deeper hole.

He glanced around, hoping to find something, ANYTHING, to save his soul right now. Later, he regretted ever thinking that thought, hating himself and his stupid brain, because he wished for something to save him and a crying Yukiko running down the street did.

* * *

She yawned.

"Man, did I fall asleep? Ugh…" she murmured. She glanced outside the window, to find the rain still falling.

The rain always made her depressed for various reasons. She couldn't help but think of all the times she and her friends failed to help the silver-haired boy and the kimono-wearing girl.

No matter how hard they tried to cheer Souji up during the last few months of his stay, he just put on a smile that seemed hollow to anyone who saw it, and he thanked them for spending time with him. He avoided the Team whenever he could and drowned himself in afterschool activities and part time jobs. Even on the rare occasion Yosuke tracked him down and tried to talk, he dodged all the questions and got away the first chance he got. One could even say Souji had somehow gotten ninja skills from the masters themselves.

After he left, they lost all contact with him completely. He had changed cell phones, and hadn't bothered giving his new number to any of them. They only heard about how he was doing from brief encounters with Dojima and Nanako. (Dojima didn't have Souji's number, only his sister's A.K.A. Souji's mom)

Even then, all they heard was "He's doing fine," from the police detective. He always sounded stressed when he said the "fine" part, so much so that Nanako could tell he was obviously lying. In fact, all one had to do to find out how Souji was doing was by taking one look at Nanako's sad face whenever his name was mentioned.

They had even gotten Souji's home phone number and called multiple times, yet it was always his mother who picked up. According to her, Souji spent most of his time in the library or someplace where he could study when he wasn't in school. They had even gotten his new cell number from her but it was always turned off. The jerk didn't even have a voicemail set up.

It was like he disappeared off the face of the Earth.

With Yukiko…

She remembered her previous attempts at trying to help Yukiko. Whenever she had tried to see her, she wasn't home or wasn't feeling well. Even at school, they were in different classrooms and Yukiko somehow always disappeared at lunch time. So her only mistake there was not being able to even see Yukiko, let alone speak to her. Even when school ended a month ago, she seemed to always disappear inside the inn and never did anymore errands.

Most of the team had given up even trying to get a _glimpse_ of her. In fact, they had given up trying to contact the two broken-hearted teenagers after being called to the police station under the suspicion of "stalking the girl from the Amagi Inn, which has already been through enough trouble already!" and "calling the same middle-aged woman in the city day after day!" (Quote on quote from the big fat guy that looked like he hadn't been on active duty for a very, very long time. Good thing Dojima bailed them out, or else Chie might have said a thing or two about being in shape to actually _do_ something for the community. Besides, how the heck had he known about them calling Souji's mother?! Creep.)

"Okay, first things first, we figure out why Yukiko has been avoiding us, because that isn't like her at all," she said to herself. It couldn't be because of the Team themselves, or anything they had done, because even if she believed they were on Souji's side, she wouldn't have ignored them.

She needed help. And what better help can you get than a legendary detective prince?

"Naoto Shirogane!" she whooped, happy she had thought something up. Grabbing her cell phone, she called the Detective Prince. It was a start at least, because it was time they tried something again.

After all, the rain could depress people while inspiring them at the same time, right? Speaking of the rain…

Chie had a sudden crazy idea. It came at her out of nowhere, and the thought struck her like a bolt of lightning from Izanagi's Rio.

"Hmm, I wonder…. Does the rain have anything to do with the TV world?"

* * *

"Damn! Why do I still have to be stuck at Junes working in this crappy weather?" Yosuke whined. He was dressed in his work uniform, restocking the shelves in the produce section. Even though there weren't any windows in this section, he could tell it was still pouring like a beast out there since there were hardly any customers.

Deciding that leaving his shift an hour early wouldn't affect Junes much, he left the building and found his new bike in the garage at the back of the store.

"Man, its weather like this that makes me wish I listened to my parents and bought a car instead!"

Grumbling, he put his helmet on and started his bike with the familiar rumble of the engine. The biker dude sped out of the garage and headed toward his destination: Chie's house.

* * *

"This is Naoto Shirogane speaking."

Chie smiled, remembering how business like Naoto was if she was talking to a stranger.

"Hey Naoto, it's Chie. What's up?" she asked.

"Oh, hello. Not much, considering these small cases don't really require my assistance," Naoto responded, sounding terribly bored over the phone.

So the poor Detective Prince is too good for the small fry cases? She smiled at that. "Well, would you like to help me with a big case?"

Intrigued, she answered, "A big case? Tell me more."

Chie smirked. She had got her caught.

"I was thinking, with the recent rain around Inaba, it's probably going to flood the area. Perfectly normal except for one fact: it's not the right season, " she paused, letting the information sink in. "So I thought that maybe Souji's and Yukiko's feelings are probably affecting the weather through the TV world. Do you think it's possible?" Chie could almost hear the detective's brain start up. A silence descended upon them while Naoto worked her thoughts out. After a few minutes, she spoke.

"It's plausible, considering that the TV world came from people's thoughts and desires. I would think that because of their connection with Personas, their feelings have affected the TV world much more intensely than most other peoples. Since they are feeling immense sadness, the weather has turned into rain and not fog like last time. That's the only explanation I would have for that," she deduced. Sensing that that wasn't all, she asked, "There's something else you need me to explain, am I correct?"

"Wow, no matter how many times I've heard you go into detective mode, it never ceases to amaze me. Anyways, you're right. I wanted to ask you something else. Would you like to help me make those two happy again?"

"Of course! You thought something up? Just tell me what you need me to do."

"First things first, how soon can you get here?"

"How soon can who get here?" a voice from behind her asked.

Chie screamed, frightened out of her mind. She jumped up and immediately turned around, going into a martial arts stance.

"Chie! Are you okay?! Answer me!" Naoto's panicked voice cracked through the phone.

"Goddamn it Yosuke! What are you doing here?" she panicked, trying to calm her heart down. "Wait a minute, how did you even get IN here?" she yelled, anger taking over.

"Uh, your door was unlocked and I thought you'd might like some free steak," he answered, completely calm, because once free steak was mentioned, the only thing in danger would be the free steak itself.

Naoto sweat dropped.

"Um, I can be there in 2 hours. I happen to be doing some work out of the city today so I'm closer to Inaba than usual."

Chie recovered from her shock and answered.

"Okay, then I'll see you in 2 hours. And don't worry about a place to stay! You're free to stay at my place for the duration of this _mission_."

"Mission? What _mission_?" Yosuke butted in, completely clueless.

"I'll explain in a sec. See ya Naoto!"

"Wait a minute! I'm staying over? Ah, whatever," she sighed, figuring it was best to just go with the flow. "Alright. See you then." She hung up.

Chie turned slowly towards the bag in Yosuke's hand. Noticing the predator-like eyes Chie had, he quickly threw the bag onto the table.

"Here, why don't you eat that while I change out of these wet clothes," he said, backing away from the hungry girl. She turned and gave him a questioning look.

"Clothes? From where?"

"Oh, I brought a spare change of clothes from my house after seeing the weather this morning. Good thing too, eh?" he said, proud of his preparation skills.

"You know, you wouldn't have needed to if you had gotten a car," she pointed out. Yosuke frowned.

"Well, _you_ know how badly I wanted a motorcycle! I'll gladly take the rain for it!" Chie chuckled, confusing him.

"Whoa, no yelling back at me or anything? This is really strange," he wondered, puzzled at the green jacket-wearing girl. She immediately sobered up.

"You wanted to know what the mission was, right? Well, the mission is about helping out Souji and Yukiko, to make them happy again," she said. Almost as an afterthought, she added, "Also, I just asked Naoto over the phone if it's possible that their feelings are causing the rain here through the TV world, and she said that it's plausible. She pointed out that maybe their Personas caused their feelings to affect the TV world more than the other normal people with shadows, which means that everyone else's feelings in the TV world would be drowned out by their misery. Their misery would change the weather to rain, right? But I think there's something wrong with that theory. We're Persona users too, so why aren't our feelings affecting the TV world?" Yosuke stared at her, slowly taking in the load of information that had been thrown at him. Chie certainly had a smart side to her that had developed during the disaster from 4 months ago. Of course, he didn't say that out loud.

"Maybe…" he started. "Maybe their feelings are so strong that its blocking out the rest of us? I dunno. I agree with you on one thing. We have to help them, because we haven't been trying hard enough for the past year. And we're going to need everyone's help. Let me go change, and I'll start phoning them. You can eat your steak in the meantime."

* * *

The figure dressed in blue walked up the steps to the house. She had a traveler's bag full of clothes and a different bag for her laptop. As she approached the door, she noticed the sounds coming from within.

"Seems like the party started without me."

Figuring the door was still unlocked from Yosuke's entrance before, she turned the door knob and found herself greeted by a flying bear being thrown across the living room by a white-haired punk. She ducked, and Teddie flew out the door. She heard him crash and stumble down the stairs.

Cocking a raised eyebrow, she said, "I'm assuming you didn't purposely through him at my head."

The white-haired punk, otherwise known as Kanji Tatsumi, stammered nervously. "Uh, um- I, uh……."

Rise Kujikawa grinned at Kanji's flustered pose. "I think you just happened to come in at the wrong time, Naoto-kun."

Naoto Shirogane laughed, feeling some stress wash away as the others laughed with her. She had become busy after helping solve the murder case, as many other towns and cities had heard of her talent and help in solving the case. The detective could hardly deny their pleas for help, and so she had been busy after summer vacation had started. It had already been a month since then, and she was tired of the small cases they sent her way. She heavily missed the easy-going atmosphere of the Investigation Team she had spent so much time with, the only ones who had seen who she truly was. She was sure the rest of them felt the same way, as everyone had their shadows exposed in the TV World. Each of them had accepted the others shadow without complaint, understanding and comforting them as well. She couldn't ask for more from her friends.

Naoto had grown during the past year, in height and in cleavage as well. She stood around Chie's height now, with slightly more cleavage than her. She didn't care too much about it though. Her looks hadn't mattered too much to her during any time of her life. She still had the same hat, but it was now covering slightly longer hair. It hadn't grown out much, only by an inch or so in her opinion.

She stood by the doorway, looking at each and every one of her friends.

Rise Kujikawa had said she would make a comeback, and make a comeback she did. Topping the charts at #1 for 3 weeks was unheard of for an idol that had taken such a long break. Though Naoto did not particularly enjoy the style of music the idol sang, she couldn't say that Rise's voice wasn't beautiful without lying flat out. She had grown taller as well, and it seemed like her cleavage had also filled out. Her red hair was exactly the same though, tied in the two familiar pigtails they had always seen it in.

Wondering how Rise got all the way out here, Naoto asked, "How did you manage to get out of the spotlight and come here in such a short amount of time?"

The pop star made a tsk-tsk motion with her finger. "Now now, if I told you right at this very moment, I'd have to repeat the story to Chie when she gets back from picking Nanako up."

"Nanako's coming? Wait, when was this decided?!" Kanji asked, obviously lost in a typical Kanji fashion.

Kanji Tatsumi had not changed much at all. He still towered over everyone else in the group and still had the same muscular hulking figure that allowed him to swing that desk around in the TV World. Wearing his jacket over his skull shirt the same way as before, it seemed like Kanji had changed the least out of everyone there.

He had started making adorable stuffed animals for the textile shop that were quickly becoming famous even outside of Inaba. Thanks to their Leader, he had conquered his fear of being ridiculed at for his skills in sewing and made his animals with pride. It seemed like he had finally found a place in his life that he was comfortable in.

Yosuke walked into the room and sat down on one of the couches in the living room. It was then that Naoto took notice of the structure of the house. The interior of the house was quite larger than it looked from the outside. The doorway opened straight into the living room, with a closet on the right. A flight of stairs that led upstairs as well as to the basement resided in the far right corner of the room. The kitchen door lay straight ahead. There was a flat screen TV on the left wall, where the couches were facing. For a fleeting moment, she imagined herself plunging into the TV again, remembering the thrill of going to the other world and facing shadows and gods.

"It was decided while you were busy chomping down those instant noodles. Geez, I swear, you and Chie both are hungry monsters," Yosuke said, lying lazily in his seat.

Yosuke Hanamura had changed more than anyone else in the room. He had ditched the old red headphones and gotten newer black ones that shined in the light. His hair had grown out and looked even wilder than before. He also looked more muscular than before, probably from maintaining that bike of his and lifting so many boxes at Junes (Though he still couldn't compare to Kanji's build). Overall, he had filled out and become quite a handsome young man. In fact, if Yosuke was still in school, she was sure half the girls in her grade would swoon over him. She only hoped his attitude had slightly matured a bit.

"I mean, how can you eat _3 months worth of my paycheck_ in one go? And of course it had to be me to treat her! Just because I'm training to become the new manager of Junes, doesn't mean I have lots of money to spare!" he ranted, getting louder and more obnoxious with every word he said. Naoto sighed. So much for maturing even a _little_ bit.

"Haha, Yosuke-senpai's so kind, even though he complains all the time! Naoto-kun, did you know Yosuke still lets me stay at his place for free? He even let me become the official mascot of Junes!" Teddie chirped, climbing back up the stairs and dusting himself off. He took off the head of the suit and smiled her.

Teddie hadn't changed too much. His blonde hair still flung out to the side, his height still the same, and his bear suit as battered as the last time she had seen it. Only now, he wore a blue poets shirt with a slightly different design from his last one.

Naoto chuckled. "So I heard. I've seen some of the new Junes commercials. You looked great in those, Teddie. Although…" she glanced at Yosuke. "Are you still going to keep that annoying jingle? It's quite agitating."

Yosuke pretended to look hurt. "Well then, make one yourself and see how easy it is!" he pouted, clearly joking. Teddie didn't seem to notice though.

"Hey, maybe Rise-chan could do one for us!" he suggested.

The said girl smiled at him. "I'd love to! Just imagine how much more business you'd rake in if I showed up in one of your commercials!" she giggled. Yosuke fell out of his seat in surprise and gaped at the singer.

"A-Are you SERIOUS!!! Really Rise-chan?! Oh man, oh man, oh man. _The_ Risette doing a commercial for us! I can just imagine how happy my folks would be, not to mention my wallet," he exclaimed excitedly.

Just then, a silver convertible pulled up the driveway and parked. As it did, everyone came out of the house and gathered around it. They watched as Chie and Nanako climbed out of the shining car and walked up to them.

Chie Satonaka hadn't changed much at all. She still had the same short hair and the same green jacket and skirt combo she wore for school. She had also grown quite a bit taller with some more bust as well, slightly less than Rise's. Overall, she looked quite well and pretty, youthful and energetic.

Nanako smiled at the Team. "Hi everyone! It's been awhile, huh…"

Nanako Dojima had drastically changed. She was taller and stronger than she ever looked before, probably because she watched TV less often and enjoyed the outdoors more. Her hair was tied in a single ponytail, a difference that showed how she had changed from a happy, innocent little kid to a more mature grade schooler. From what she heard from Dojima, the girl had learned to cook proper food after receiving a homemade cook book from Souji with detailed instructions that could rival a professionals yet simple enough for anyone to understand. She was in the top 5% of her school and had learned to make some proper friends her age.

They had also told her about the TV World, Personas, and the true nature of the murders. As a team, they agreed that letting her know the truth was for the best. Otherwise, she would wonder what had happened to her during that terrible time for the rest of her life. She deserved the truth, and only the truth.

"Wow, Nana-chan! You sure have changed. You're almost as tall as I am!" Teddie commented, smiling cheerfully in his suit. Nanako giggled.

"It's amazing how much one year can change a person, isn't it?" Naoto stated, looking over everyone again. Everyone agreed with her comment and smiled, but Chie saddened at that comment.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Look at Yukiko and Souji. It's like we never existed in their lives before. When was the last time anyone talked to them or even heard anything about them?"

"Geez, way to be a damper on everyone's spirit Chie," Yosuke frowned. Nanako had lost her happy smile from before and wore a dejected smile instead.

"Big Bro has been suffering a lot. That's why I want to help you guys out! If there's anything I can do, please let me know!" she announced, a determined look in her eyes as she did.

They all nodded.

"First things first. We go inside and get some info organized. I feel like there's something we're missing here. Knowing our luck, this adventure isn't just about two broken-hearted people," Chie declared. They nodded again. The large gang filed into the house, taking seats on the couches that surrounded the wooden table in the middle. Closing the door behind her, Naoto picked the spot in between Kanji and Rise on the large three-person couch.

And so the meeting began.

* * *

A/N: And so, my dear readers, I bid you a beary good night and hope you enjoyed the first chapter of what might be my longest story yet.

Thanks to:

**Mayumi-H**

**ME ()** (lol, I love your name)

**V-San**

**Kisdota-The Freak Gamer**

**Bluestorm1990**

Thanks for the support guys! Heh, this is kinda funny. For the first time ever, I have more reviews than story alerts and faves. XD


	3. PlanPower

A/N: Well, here we are people. Chapter 2. Oh joy.

Thanks to:

Mayumi-H

Kisdota-The Freak Gamer

Vocarin

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Plan/Power

As soon as everyone had settled down in their seats, they looked at one another and gathered their thoughts together. Naoto took advantage of the silence and spoke.

"Alright, I'm assuming everyone knows what we're here for, but before we start, I'd like to know how Rise got here so fast," she said, looking towards the idol. She sputtered and opened her mouth several times before closing it. She tried to say something, and when they all saw how much she was stuttering, a collective sense of unease entered the room.

She had hoped that Naoto would have forgotten her question from earlier.

Rise chuckled nervously. "Um, I know you're not going to like this, but I set up an experiment with Teddie." Yosuke raised an eyebrow while everyone else gave her questioning looks.

She took a breath, mentally preparing herself. "I called and told him to go to the TV World and see if we could meet up if we went in from different TVs." She cowered under Yosuke's and Naoto's angry stares before meekly continuing. "I know it was stupid and dangerous, but I needed to get here quickly! Senpai and Yukiko-senpai are suffering every second in their existence, and I couldn't wait to get a second shot at helping them! Besides, the Shadows were supposed to be gone…" Chie was drinking water when she heard the last sentence. She did a spit take.

"WHAT?! What do you mean by _supposed _to be?" Yosuke bellowed, blowing everyone's eardrums out. Rise gulped and continued with her story.

"Heh, well, let's just say that I landed in a particularly dangerous spot. I didn't know where I was since it was raining _really_ hard. I couldn't see anything! It was even worse than the fog since I was getting dragged down in my wet clothes. I sensed where Teddie was and tried to get there, but it was starting to flood pretty badly. I got swept by the current, and luckily, it was heading towards Teddie's general direction. I grabbed onto what seemed like a log, and floated for a while. When I was really close to Teddie's position, I hit something hard and climbed onto it. Then, the rain suddenly turned to a light drizzle and I could see! And guess what I saw?" she explained. Teddie perked up at the last part and spoke up.

"Rise-chan saw Teddie fighting a big shadow! I didn't know what it was, but it looked like one of Sensei's persona! I was battling it right outside the platform Rise-chan was on and it was so hard to see in the rain! I was losing beary badly, so I retreated back onto the platform. I turned around to get ready to fight it again, but something strange happened. It couldn't come into the light rain!" he exclaimed, sounding slightly serious for once. Rise continued.

"Yeah, I arrived just when he retreated onto the platform. Oh! And guess which platform this was though!" she asked, sounding excited.

"No. Way. Are you talking about the one we always went to from the TV at Junes?" Yosuke asked, bewildered. Rise giggled at his reaction.

"Yeah, I was surprised. I thought it disappeared when the TV World changed into that beautiful forest. Guess it came back though. It also seems like the only safe place where the shadows can't get us, just like last time," she remarked. The group turned silent, slowly digesting the information.

Naoto broke the silence. "Rise, despite getting here quickly for us and finding out this valuable information, please don't go in alone again. That goes for all of us." She looked at everyone and received nods of agreement.

"Yeah, you lucked out big time. No telling what might happen next," Chie said, voicing her concern.

Rise apologized. "I'm sorry. It _was _kinda dumb for me to do that."

Teddie tried cheering her up by saying, "It's okay! You had me with you!"

Yosuke twitched. "You idiot bear, that's the point. You were the one who helped her with the idea, and you were only with her once she got to the platform!" They collectively sighed.

"Anyways, let's continue. Kanji, do you have something to say? You've been strangely quiet," Naoto commented while staring at the white-haired teen.

He blinked. "Oh, um, I was just wondering why Rise's not wet, 'cause she's strangely dry and her clothes don't even look like they've ever _been_ wet."

All pairs of eyes turned towards Rise's attire. The singer squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"I don't know. Once we got out of the TV, it was like neither of us had been in the storm," she stated. Realizing that someone needed to record the information, Naoto took out a notebook and started scribbling.

_Rise went into TV World. Got caught in huge storm. Swept away in current. Held onto a log?_

_Teddie went in too. Fought shadow (looked like Souji's Persona?). _

_Platform is back. Only safe place._

_Came out of TV dry. No trace of being in storm._

She reviewed the little bit of info she had and thought about something they were missing. There was definitely something they were overlooking.

Wait a minute…

"Teddie, you said you were losing badly. How come you're not scratched up?" Naoto pointed out. Teddie jumped out of his seat and started inspecting his body and his suit.

"Huh, I guess you're right Nao-chan, I'm not hurt at all!" he exclaimed.

Yosuke scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "Did you heal yourself?"

"Nope."

Naoto thought hard. She went through all the possibilities through her head. What could have healed them? Did they even get hurt at all? She decided that the last question was foolish, considering the fact that Teddie had been losing to the shadow, which meant that he would have been considerably injured. Maybe…. "Did either of you get hurt in the rain?"

"What do you mean? We didn't get hurt by the rain, if that's what you meant. Hold on… You're not saying that… Oh my gosh. Now that I think about it, Teddie didn't look injured at all when he entered the platform and stepped into the light rain!" Rise figured out, completely shocked by the revelation. Naoto nodded.

She didn't think the absurd idea would have been true, but hadn't she said the same thing about Personas 2 years ago? That it wasn't possible that they existed?

"Hey, the rest of us are kinda in the dark here!" Kanji grunted, sounding pissed at not being able to figure things out on his own. It seemed that everyone in the room figured it out, except for Kanji and Teddie.

They sighed.

Naoto stepped up again, her natural detective instincts kicking in. "It seems that whatever effects that occurred to Rise and Teddie outside the platform were negated once they stepped into the safe haven inside the light rain."

The bear and tall teenager stared at her.

"What she means is that the platform and the light rain in it got rid of the injuries and wet clothiness of the two dimwits that went in to the TV," Yosuke elaborated, dumbing it down for the two.

"Oh. I get it."

"That's interesting. Since we are without a healer and a leader, we would be in serious trouble if we went in to the TV. If we ever have to in the future, then we know that we at least have a place to heal ourselves."

"But I'm a healer!" Teddie pointed out. He looked kinda depressed for being seemingly forgotten.

Naoto nodded. "Yes, but one healer is not sufficient enough to keep healing our large group. We needed all three of you who had abilities to heal, as proven by previous experiences. With only one this time, we have to be very careful when we go in."

"Yeah, but let's hope that we don't EVER need to."

"As important as the TV World is, I think for now, we should concentrate on our Yukiko and Souji problem," Chie spoke up, trying to suppress her urge to run all the way to the Amagi Inn and demand to be let inside.

Yosuke looked over at her. "I agree with Chie. It's what our main objective is right now."

Naoto frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together. "I suppose. But we shouldn't forget about this new information. Who knows? It might turn out to be important later on."

Rise clapped her hands together and stood on the table. Chie glared at the girl currently standing on her $300 dollar table.

"Alright! First things first! We gotta find a way to talk to Yukiko-senpai and Souji-senpai! All our efforts would go to waste if we couldn't even speak to them!" Rise declared in a somewhat sing-song voice.

Clearing the anger out of her mind, Chie nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that was our failure last time we tried to cheer them up. We couldn't get a hold of them! The Inn people wouldn't let me in, no matter how much I insisted that I was Yukiko's friend."

Yosuke nodded as well. "Same with me. Went to the city a few times and tried Souji's door but nobody answered. I'm pretty sure his mother was looking at me through the peephole but didn't want to let me in."

Rise deflated. "Ugh! There's gotta be someway to reach them…"

"Heh, well…"

All heads turned toward the manager-to-be.

"You have a plan?" Naoto bluntly questioned.

Yosuke looked sheepish. "Well, it's not the best of ideas…"

"Stop stalling! Just tell us already, sheesh!" Chie wanted to do something NOW.

He gulped.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

They all glared at him.

"Umm, well… I'm still thinking of a way to get into Souji's house. Yukiko on the other hand…"

"Yosuke. If you keep stalling, I'm afraid you're going to be on the receiving end of my revolver."

Even Naoto was getting aggravated.

"N-No need to be so hasty! I just had to get my thoughts together. Okay, so you know how Yukiko lives in an Inn?"

They stared at him. What kind of question was that?

"Well, if we booked a room there, we could get to Yukiko somehow, right?"

They blinked. Chie sighed in frustration.

"Yosuke, those rooms are expensive. Plus, they would recognize us and keep us away at all costs."

It was Yosuke's turn to glare at them.

"Hey, give me some credit here! I know that. That's why I've come up with some possible disguises we could wear and some jobs we could get for the money."

Chie was shocked. Yosuke actually had a decent plan. The others seemed to share that thought as well.

Naoto was slightly apprehensive. "What kind of disguises and jobs are we going to do?" She had a bad feeling about this…

"Kanji and Naoto can pretend to be a couple on vacation! They'll never recognize you, Naoto, if you wear dresses and girly stuff."

The detective stammered and blushed, trying to find her voice in order to object the idea.

"Kanji, all we have to do is un-gel your hair and fix it up a bit."

He reached over and ruffled the guy's hair.

"Ta-daa! See! You can't recognize him at all."

He did look different. Less like a punk and more like a porcupine with the way Yosuke had messed it up. He glowered at his senpai.

"Rise, you're an idol, but you must've done some acting before right? You can find some way to disguise yourself and maybe hold a concert beforehand to make some cash."

Rise thought about it and nodded. It didn't seem like a bad idea.

"Chie, all I can say is this: Get a wig. No WAY will anyone recognize you then. And maybe some more feminine clothes as well."

The girl looked ready to kill.

"Teddie and I will be back up. We're way too recognizable to disguise ourselves successfully. We'll get some security mics from Junes and give some to each of you in order for you to contact us. Since there's no place to stay that's within radio range, we've decided to camp out in the forest nearby!"

Naoto thought it over. It wasn't a bad plan. There were a few things that could go wrong, but she supposed it was better than hers. "How did you come up with this?"

His eyes fell. "After going to Souji's house a few times, I've been thinking hard about ways to help him and Yukiko. They don't deserve the pain they're going through. This plan's been on my mind for a while now…"

Kanji patted down his hair and tried fixing it to the best of his abilities. "Enough o' that. We gotta get those jobs as fast as we can. Even though Rise can probably get all the money herself with a concert, it'll draw too much attention to ourselves, right? I mean, her manager doesn't even know where she is!"

Chie nodded. "Good point. Maybe we can do some of those part-time jobs Souji did while he was here."

Kanji shook his head. "You mean you guys will. I'm gonna try and sell some specialty stuffed animals and stuff. It'll make more money 'n be easier too."

"I will also attempt a different way of making the money. Perhaps I will find a case that will pay well," the detective hoped.

"Hmm, guess me and Teddie and Yosuke-senpai will have to work those part time jobs with you, Chie. I'll also do some extra work around Marukyu, see if my Grandma can give some money," Rise thought out loud.

Yosuke grinned and looked around the group. They were all going to try their best, and he hoped that his plan would work.

Because if it didn't, more than just the feeling in his privates would be at risk.

* * *

What was the point in life? _That was the question he had been asking himself for a while now._

Where was could he find the desire to live? _Another_ _question going through his head._

How could he bear to live without them? Without her? _Stop. Don't think. Numb yourself._

Pathetic. When would he swallow the bitter truth? _He already had. It had clogged his throat with silence, kept food from entering, and made it hard to breathe._

Who could save him? _It was impossible to save him. He was too far gone without a purpose._

Why?

_Why what?_

Why? WHY?

_He had no answer to that. The questioner knew the answer as well as he did._

He walked. Trudged along the city streets. Probably not the best idea near midnight, where the punks, druggies, gangs, and "who knows what else" came out. He shrugged that thought aside.

_It didn't matter. He would show them not to mess with him again, especially after their last failed attempt. _

A hand tempting him into a dark alleyway. Was he going to answer the beckoning of the stranger in the shadows?

_Why not? He had nothing better to do. Nothing could kill him. None of the criminals in this part of the city knew how to use a gun properly, not even knives at the very best._

He shuffled over. A mysterious blue-haired man in an overcoat leaned against the brick wall of the apartment building. He did nothing but breathe silently, in and out. In and out. And in and out.

"_Did you need something?" He started the conversation. It didn't seem like the stranger would initiate it._

_The man did nothing. His eyes and upper part of his face were covered in the shadow of a hat, his chin covered by the collar of the long overcoat._

"_If you're going to waste my time, then I'm going to leave."_

_The stranger tilted his head up, and he saw his eyes. He held back a gasp. _

_The blue-grey eyes shook him to the core; the hollowness and emptiness inside made the man seem like a dead soul._

"_Your eyes are like mine." The words startled him. Like his?_

"_Grey. Such a bland and depressing color. Yet, yours hold the power mine once had. The power that I lost when I left this world. Igor helped you with it, no?"_

_Souji backed away, trembling. This man knew his secret. Unbidden memories of his year in Inaba came back, the murders and his heartbreak flashing before his eyes. He clutched his head._

He knows what you are! What are you going to do about it? What is HE going to do about it? _He didn't know._

"_So your past has come to haunt, as it had done to me. But being dead has only given me time to regret. You story seems similar to mine, yet your power isn't fully utilized. I can help you with your power. Allow you to use it here in this world. Would you like that?"_

_Souji didn't know what to say._

You want it. Accept it. With that power, you can help the people. Find another purpose in life. Do you wish for that destiny?

"_What do I have to do?"_

"_Ever heard of Russian Roulette?"_

_He stared. He wasn't serious, was he?_

What does it matter? Life was meaningless anyways.

"_Alright. Let's play."_

_The stranger reached inside his coat and pulled out a handgun._

"_That's not a revolver."_

"_So? My version is different. Are you willing to take the chance that I have not loaded it?"_

_He glared. He wouldn't back down from this challenge._

_He grabbed the silver gun with his left hand and pointed it at the side of his head, elbow sticking out._

_He breathed. In and out. And in and out._

_Pulled the trigger._

_And the sound of shattering glass filled the air._

_A sudden feeling erupted through him._

Was he dying?

_No. This feeling… it was power. Unbelievable power._

_He felt a presence and turned behind him._

_The figure in his impressive black coat loomed over him._

"_Izanagi."_

_But where was Izanagi-no-Okami?_

"_You are not strong enough for a being like Izanagi-no-Okami yet. Summoning here is different from over there. You don't just fight your shadow once. You fight your fears and doubts every time you pull the trigger. It drains you much more than if you were over there, but you will find that your Persona is ten times more powerful than if you just summoned it the normal way. So use the gun in the other world as well."_

_Souji stared at him. Who was he?_

"_Who I am is not important. Just know this: you are starting a new adventure, one that has more risks than the last. You will need another contract with Igor, and reestablish your Social Links. Those will be your most powerful asset. Oh, and keep the gun. It's my old one."_

What did he mean by 'his old one'?

_The blue-haired man seemed to be sucked in by the shadows of the wall he was leaning against. _

_Souji blinked._

_He was gone._

_

* * *

_

A/N: Now before you ask, NO this will NOT be a full crossover. I'm only taking a little bit from P3. So I'm sorry if you were like "OMG Co426e, now your story is turning into one of those crossovers, you copycat!"

No. It's not. I'm not even going to bring any other P3 character into this story.

Oh, and btw, who do you think the blue-haired man was? If you didn't know, then either you've never played P3, or you just fail. So epically fail.


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